Vigil Vigilante
by Lanie L Sullivan
Summary: A short tale of a hospital vigil and a worried mother. Set post-series.


Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. The plot is mine, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

AN: Set post-series. Mystery marriage is a thing of the past.

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The worried woman frantically pacing up and down the aisle in an ER waiting area seemed to be growing more agitated by the moment, by the one and only onlooker in the room at this late hour, her husband of just a few months. She steepled her hands in front of her face, which to an outsider, may look as if she were praying for just a moment, however, he knew that wasn't a sign of reverence in her, but a sign that she was about to explode. He saw the signs that he knew all too well...the pacing...the big brown eyes widened with fear...the frantic hand movements...it was when those hand movements stopped that he knew it was all about to blow up.

Sure enough, three seconds later, her hands dropped from her face and she railed, "What the Sam Hill is going on? Why can't they just _tell_ us what's going on? How he is...what happened to him...something...if they could just tell us something! I mean, just how long is a mother supposed to wait?" She marched resolutely to the ER information desk and tapped her nails against it to get the bored-looking admitting nurse's attention. "Excuse me!" she demanded loudly.

Her husband stepped up behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders to soothe her and pulled her away before she could make a scene, knowing from numerous hospital vigils with friends that it would do no good, "Shhh...I know you're worried, but getting yourself worked up isn't going to do anyone any good." When she tried to wriggle out of his grasp to go back to the desk, he held her fast and added, "And neither will harassing the staff here."

"But why can't they...?" She sank wearily into his comforting embrace looking utterly defeated.

"I know." he replied as he turned her to face him and took her in his arms, holding her tightly to allow her to cry out her frustrations. "Let it out," he crooned soothingly.

She leaned on her husband and sobbed into his chest, clinging to the fabric of his shirt as if it were her lifeline and soaking the material with her tears, all the time with him whispering soft words into her hair. When the tears had turned into just tiny gasps and she could breathe again, she looked up at him gratefully and gave him an acknowledging nod. "Thank you." She gave him a tiny kiss.

"Listen, why don't we sit back down? I know you're scared, but all we can really do is wait."

"Yeah, I know." She nodded and allowed him to lead her back to the chairs in the waiting area. "I just wish..." She let out a sigh.

"Wish what, my love?" her husband questioned to encourage her.

"I just wish I could understand. What really happened to him? What was he doing in a place like that? Why was there a gun involved? How could he have been shot?" She thought back to that last time there'd been a shooting and shuddered. That time, there's nearly been a death in the family. It had really brought home to her just how fragile life was.

"I'm sure we'll know all the answers to those questions," he assured her as he gently squeezed her hand.

"I hope so." There was a long pause as she tried to focus on the positive. He'd been found quickly and he had the best doctors in the city working on him, so that was good...right? "He can't die!" she blurted out. "He just can't. He's too young!" She rose from her seat and began pacing again. "He's only-"

"Stop!" he barked sharply as he leapt from his chair and reached for her to stop her from getting hysterical again, then in a more calming tone as he softly stroked her hair, "Just stop. We just have to trust that the doctors know what they're doing."

She shot him an incredulous look. "Who are you kidding? You hate doctors."

It was true, he had to admit. "Yes, but in this case, everything rests in their hands. While I may not like them in general, this is their job and we have to believe that they know how to do it right." He lightly caressed her cheek. "Can you do that for me?"

Again, she nodded. "Okay...okay. I guess I have no choice in that matter, after all."

"You really don't," he replied honestly, then amended his statement, " _We_ really don't. As much as we hate it, there's nothing else to do, but wait." He sighed as he steered her back to her seat and helped her sit. "Can I get you anything? A sandwich? A snack? You must be starving. We've been here for hours and you haven't eaten a thing since breakfast."

She shook her head slowly. "Not hungry."

"Coffee then? Something to keep you energized?"

"Yeah...coffee would be good."

"And if I go to get it, you'll wait here and not abuse the nurses?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured numbly.

"Promise?" he prodded.

Letting out a deep sigh, she nodded and confirmed with a wary smile, "I promise."

The look on her face told him she was lying, but now was not the time to call her out on it. "I'll be right back."

Sure enough, once he was out of sight, she made a beeline for the nurse's station. "Listen here," she growled in a demanding tone. "I've been waiting here for hours waiting for news on-"

"I know who you are and why you're here. This is the third time you've been up here," the nurse at the desk interrupted her.

"Of course it is. I'm a mother and I'm going to keep asking until-"

"And I'm sorry, but we just don't have any news yet. The doctors are still working on him."

"But why?" Her voice took on a pleading tone. "There must be _something_ you can tell me."

"Not about the patient," the other woman replied and let out a sigh. "The only thing that I can tell you is that I've been a nurse in this ER for ten years and I've seen my share of gunshot victims and I can tell you with certainty in a case like this with a gunshot wound to the chest, it's tricky and it takes time. And believe me, when I say, this is something you want the doctors to take their time on if you want them to save his life."

"I just... he's my-"

"I know you're worried," the nurse interrupted again. "I'm a mother too and if I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. I wish I could tell you more, but there just isn't more I can tell you right now. I promise that the second that I can, you'll be the first to know. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." She trudged forlornly back to her seat and sank wearily into it. She'd never felt so helpless in all her life. _No, that's not true,_ she reminded herself. There's been that one other near-fatal shooting in California. She closed her eyes and willed herself not to think about that. The family was really just still recovering from that ordeal and now this had happened. She looked heavenward and said a silent prayer for the life of the young man she was so worried about, begging for him to be returned safely to his family.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of her husband. "Here we are," he said more cheerily than he felt as he handed her a paper cup. He was trying to be strong for her. He needed to be and in his position, he could be. While he was worried too, he wasn't nearly as close to this situation as she was...as close to the family. He was a new addition, after all and in his mind barely even family at all. That he loved them, there was no question, but he just hadn't been in the picture long enough to have the same connection.

Exhausted for words, they both looked down at the floor, not daring to look at each other for fear that the worry and frustration would once again take hold and they'd lash out at each other in their misery. Their silence was only broken by the normal stirrings of the emergency room, people coming in and out, the occasional page, the complaints of various ailments from incoming patients until a voice stirred them both.

"Mother," Amanda's voice called to her weakly as she was pushed in a wheelchair by a nurse, her right leg bound in plaster and the rest of her covered in cuts and bruises.

"Oh, my Darling," Dotty rushed to hug her daughter. "Are you all right?"

Amanda winced in pain. "Easy, Mother, I have a dislocated shoulder, but I'm okay."

Dotty pulled back. "I'm so sorry. I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried, but I'm more worried..."

"About Lee, I know. I was at least still conscious when they brought us in," Amanda replied sadly. "But the doctor who worked on him spoke to me before I was released and it'll take some time, but he's going to be fine too."

"Oh, thank God," Dotty breathed a sigh of relief. Amanda nodded, but didn't get to say anything before her mother began again, "But if you know that, how come the nurse up there didn't?"

"She did," Amanda admitted.

"Then why wouldn't-"

"Mother, please..." Amanda cut her off. "Would you just let me finish?" she pleaded in a softer tone. When she saw that her mother had calmed a bit, she continued, "I asked her them not to let the staff here tell you anything about Lee's condition until I could talk to the doctor myself. After going through what I went through in California, I knew how to ask the right questions to make sure I'd get the right answers and not just the doctor telling me what he thinks I want to hear."

"But he's going to be okay...isn't he?" Dotty shuddered a bit. The thought of anything else was unthinkable to her now that Lee had become such a big part of the family and made Amanda so happy.

Amanda smiled weakly. "Absolutely. He was really, really lucky. The bullet collapsed his lung, but there was no damage to his heart or any major blood vessels, so with time, he'll make a full recovery."

"H-how much time?" Dotty was starting to not feel so reassured anymore.

"That all depends on him," her daughter answered. "They said it can take anywhere from one to three months, but he _will_ recover."

"Good...that's good."

"What about the boys?"

"They're still with Joe. I wasn't sure that I should bring them here and I haven't told them anything yet, because quite frankly, I didn't know _what_ to tell them."

"You made the right decision." She nodded to her new stepfather. "I want to thank you for being her for my mother."

"Of course. I wouldn't be anywhere else," Curt answered and he slipped an arm around Dotty's waist.

"So, what should I have told them? Or more accurately, what _aren't_ you telling me?"

"Mother, not now, please. I'm tired and hurting and I just want to go home. They won't let us see Lee until at least tomorrow. Can we please talk about this another time?"

"Well, I just want to know how the two of you keep ending up in situations like this. First you and that horrible ordeal in California and now this. You may be an adult, but I'm your mother and I deserve to know what's been going on that led to this."

"I promise you that I will explain everything...but another time." She sighed wearily. "But right now, I really just need to get some rest."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here? In case something changes with Lee?"

Amanda shook her head. "No. They have my number and it wouldn't do any good to stay because they won't let me in to see him right now anyway. I already asked and the doctor who patched me up along with the doctor who worked on him insisted that I go home and try to let myself heal too." She reached for Dotty's hands. "I know you were worried and I know you have a lot of questions, which I _will_ answer, but not tonight."

"Of course. Of course you're right. Now's not the time. You've been through an ordeal, but don't think this is over, Young Lady. I want some answers and I intend to get them." She had a sneaking suspicion that whatever was going on was directly linked to the fact that her daughter had kept her marriage to Lee a secret for months. She just couldn't quite connect the dots.

"Why don't we just get her home?" Curt interjected as he moved behind Amanda to wheel her out.

It was Amanda's turn to breathe a sigh of relief, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She knew she had to make a call to Billy. It was time to reveal the truth to her mother.


End file.
